


Bright Idea

by ColorfulStabwound



Series: The chronicles of Teddy and James [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Happy Birthday Teddy, Hogwarts, Love, M/M, Puddlemere United, Surprises, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-30
Updated: 2015-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-26 09:36:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3846007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorfulStabwound/pseuds/ColorfulStabwound
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a little birthday-centric cuteness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bright Idea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unkissed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unkissed/gifts).



> Happy birthday to our favorite little Metamorph!
> 
> As always, endless thanks to Unkissed, my lovely friend and muse in all things.
> 
> For Teddy, the only person that James could ever truly love.

James Sirius Potter always gets his way.

 

It never matters to him what the consequences might be or how his _way_ might affect other people because James is selfish and it is what it is. Of course, James isn’t always thinking of himself (although this is more often than not, the case). Sometimes other people fuel his drive, and today that drive is Teddy Lupin.

 

James arrives at the cottage that he shares with Teddy in an impressive displacing of air. After a quick surveying glance about the place to ensure he is alone he smiles, and when James Sirius smiles you know you’re in trouble.

 

The house had been Teddy’s idea; born on visions of the past and hopes for the future. It stood in a clearing near the edge of the lake that separated Hogsmeade from the Forbidden Forest, not very far away from the old Shrieking Shack. Of course, with James playing starting line up for Puddlemere United and Teddy teaching full time at Hogwarts, neither of them were actually _home_ very often, but that didn’t matter. Not really, because both Teddy _and_ James knew that they would always end up in the comfortable house. Together.

 

James heads into the bedroom and tosses his knapsack on the bed and shrugs out of his coat. He stands in the center of the room for a moment, eyes fixed on a photograph of Teddy and himself on the side table. In the picture, Teddy has his arm slung around James’ neck and is leaning in to kiss his cheek. James is making a typically obnoxious face while snapping the photo himself. It wasn’t a particularly special moment in time that the photograph was taken, but it was a perfect depiction of their relationship all the same.

 

James smiles to himself as he exits the room and makes his way into the kitchen to put on the kettle. He glances at his wristwatch as he fishes a cup and saucer from the cabinet. Teddy would be right in the middle of a mid-afternoon class, which was precisely how James wanted it. When the tea was finished he carried it with him to the sitting room and plopped down on the sofa. He sipped his tea thoughtfully and went over his plans in his head, smirking to himself now and again at his own genius.  

 

Officially, James _should_ have been in in Tutshill for a series against the Tornados, and since he’d told exactly no one of his plans, that is where everyone expected him to be. It hadn’t been very hard to talk the team captain into allowing him a three-day leave. Not only was James an extremely capable debater, he _always_ got his way. Charming his way into getting what he wanted from the Puddlemere coach wasn’t even that hard; not nearly as hard as charming someone like say, his own mum would have been.

 

Once James had the approval he required he tossed a few things in a knapsack and immediately headed for Scotland. Teddy would have no idea he was home and that was the beauty of his plan. Birthdays were something that Teddy and James had always taken seriously and James refused to allow something like _growing up_ get in the way. 

 

James spent the rest of the morning lounging about the house, happy to have a little bit of time to do nothing at all. Professional Quidditch wasn’t a cakewalk and it rarely left him with free time, much less time to waste doing nothing particularly interesting at all. When he was good and ready he changed his T-shirt and left the house, determined to get in and out of the castle without being seen by Teddy.

 

There was a path that wound around the edge of the water and met up with the road that connected Hogwarts to Hogsmeade but James being, well, James, preferred to take a different route. The secret underground tunnel was just as dank as he remembered and he couldn’t help but smile as he thought back to a particular Hallows Eve with Teddy, right here in this very passage. When he reached the opening at the other end he reached out and carefully depressed the knot at the base of the intimidating tree that guarded the passage. He climbed out of the hole and dusted himself off, chuckling to himself all the way across the grounds. 

 

When the castle came into view James paused, a faint glimmer of appreciation glinting in his expression. He’d experienced the best and worst and everything in between within these walls and the school would always hold a special place inside of him.  James set off again, taking the front steps two at a time and heading inside. Instead of heading down the hall to the left towards the Transfiguration classroom he made his way to the Headmaster’s office; the irony of actually seeking the place out, not lost on him.

 

Headmaster Olgilvie was a pleasant enough person, which was why James was certain that he would have no trouble getting what he wanted from the older gentleman.  “James Potter.” He said as he entered the office, moving to shake the Headmaster’s hand.

 

“I know who you are, James Potter. Welcome _back_ to Hogwarts.” Olgilivie accepted James’ hand with a warm smile and a nod before gesturing to the seat opposite.

 

“My name precedes me, eh?” James dropped into the offered chair and grinned proudly at the Headmaster.

 

“Indeed. You’ve made quite a name for yourself Mr. Potter. Here at Hogwarts, and beyond.”  Headmaster Olgilvie folded his hands on the desk in front of him and smiled again, waiting for James to continue.

 

“Good to know,” James replied, nodding approvingly before continuing. “So, Headmaster, the reason I’ve come is to let you know that _Professor_ Lupin won’t be available to teach classes tomorrow. Is that going to be a problem?” James leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, staring directly at the Headmaster.

 

Olgilvie didn’t seem phased by James’ direct approach, on the contrary, his mouth quirked with a little smile and if James were not mistake he would say that the man actually looked pleased. “Ah yes, Professor Lupin has a birthday coming up if I remember correctly.”

 

“That’s right, and he’s going to be a bit…Indisposed, I guess you could say.”

 

“Very well, Mr. Potter. I don’t think it will be a problem locating a suitable substitute for Professor Lupin.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

James almost couldn’t believe how easy the conversation had gone. Teddy really hadn’t been joking when he talked about how accommodating Olgilvie was.

 

By the time James left the castle, morning classes had been released. The halls were swarming with students and James picked up the pace, not wishing to be spotted now and ruin the surprise. Once back outside, James headed for the owlerly, for the next part of his plan.

 

James knew that getting Teddy back to the house would take a little coaxing, which is why he had written out the letter before he’d left. He picked out an owl at random; it didn’t really matter the owl wasn’t going very far.  Once he’d sent the owl off on its mission he headed back to the cottage to wait. It shouldn’t be long.

 

 

_Teddy,_

_I need my red shirt. It’s in the drawer at home._

_Please send it right away._

_Yes I NEED it and yes it is important._

_James_

It wasn’t poetry, although anything concerning James rarely was.

 

                                                                               ∞

 

Teddy turned up as soon as classes had dismissed for the day, just like James had suspected. He was grumbling under his breath when he came in the front door and was far too preoccupied to notice that the house was not quite empty. From his seat in the darkened sitting room James watched Teddy trudge into the bedroom, still muttering about insufferable boyfriends and red shirts. James couldn’t help but find amusement in the scene, despite the fact that he was the subject. 

 

Teddy was rummaging around the bedroom, opening and closing drawers in search of the elusive red shirt. He knew that this entire exercise was something that James had done because he thought it was funny, not because he actually needed the ruddy t-shirt, and yet here he was, doing precisely what James asked. He closed the last drawer in the chest and stood there for a moment, violet eyes darting around the room and bottom lip caught between his teeth. “If I were a stupid red shirt, where would I be?” His voice sounded hollow in the empty house and it made him frown just a little bit. He knew that Jamie was living his dream and he would never deny him that experience, but sometimes Teddy wished James’ dream involved something much closer to home.  His eyes paused on the knapsack on the bed and he stared at it curiously, not yet understanding. Suddenly Teddy had the sensation that he was not as alone as he thought he was and his head snapped up and he glanced at the doorway, eyes widening in shock.

 

“Jamie? What are you doing here?” Teddy is more than a little confused and it is clear by the expression written across his face, which James also finds much amusement in.

 

“Heard you were looking for a red shirt.” James replies with grin, and when Teddy notices that he’s actually wearing the stupid red t-shirt he laughs softly.

 

Teddy blinks at James for a minute, unable to assimilate the fact that they were both in the house together.  “Shouldn’t you be in Tutshill?” He asked, quirking a brow and scratching the back of his head absently. 

 

“Gods, Teddy, you’re getting really slow in your old age.” James closes the distance between them as he talks and when he wraps his arms around Teddy’s neck, Teddy melts into the embrace.

 

“Sorry,” Teddy mumbles into the warm folds of James’ neck, lost in the sorely missed sensation of having James this close.

 

“You didn’t think I’d miss your birthday, did you?” James’ whisper is so sweet that it clenches Teddy’s heart in the best ways. He should have known better than to think that Jamie would be too busy to remember his birthday and he felt foolish for doubting him now.

 

“How long do we have?” Teddy says, lifting his head to peer at James who was looking more smug than usual.

 

“Two days. Better make ‘em count.” James lifted his brows suggestively and Teddy couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head, terribly amused. 

 

“Oh, I plan on it.” Teddy says as he pushes James down on the bed without so much as a warning.  James lets out a little laugh as he poses suggestively.

 

When Teddy aligns himself with James their bodies melt together seamlessly because they are two perfect puzzle pieces.

 

When James kisses Teddy he tastes tea and English toffee on his tongue and it is enough to make him never want to leave this bed.

 

When Teddy wakes up tomorrow he will be another year older. He will lie in bed for most of the day with James beside him and he will believe in their love more than he ever has before. James will feed him biscuits and insult his age and they will laugh and kiss and shag like they have all the time in the world.

 

Teddy likes to think that maybe, they do.

 

Happy birthday Teddy.


End file.
